It’s Bargain Bottle Battle time, again! And for this smackdown, Th’ Lip tried yet ANOTHER tack in attempting to dethrone the unstoppable El Ultimo Agave reposado: How about slipping in a brand which has never before been tasted on the Tequila Whisperer Show? That brand, El Jimador reposado, is the lowest cost, entry-level tequila from the mighty Hacienda Herradura family of tequilas! Take THAT, El Ultimo Agave!

Lippy Double-Teamed the El Jimador with Agavales repo, another super low-cost favorite from a few shows ago. Your Tequila Whisperer is pulling no punches in his efforts to find another champion to take the place of El Ultimo Agave and present the most worthy reposado for under $20! Will this combination finally yield a conquering winner? Watch and see!

CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE NOTES:

Your Lip was itching for a real upset in this Bargain Battle. It’s no secret that he’s getting a bit bored with El Ultimo Agave’s (NOM 1522) sweet attack and spicy alcohol spike load that persists all over the mid palate. This repo has very high peaks and low valleys. It commands a lot of “tongue attention’ and refuses to become anonymous in the mouth. Ultimately this bold flavor statement is what turned the tide for Th’ Lip in EUA’s favor. It’s an inexpensive reposado that refuses to be ignored, and you gotta give it credit for that mix.

The El Jimador brought a surprisingly mellow flavor and nose to the taste party. There is a nice melding of sweet vanilla wisps with a modicum of wood presented here, but generally the flavors have been so balanced and turned down that there isn’t a whole lot to love. When compared to Herradura’s next level up, the Antiguo repo, El Jimador pales considerably. There just isn’t much “there” there.

Agavales started strong on the nose with a deeper, smokier, olfactory offering. But upon tasting, Lip found it as toned down and bland as the El Jimador. In fact a taste–off between those two would find the Taster having a very difficult time telling them apart. Eventually the Agavales opened up a bit in the glass and presented a slight and pleasing coconut side-wall flavor, and that was enough to elevate it above the El Jimador (barely). Still, if you’re looking for a very inexpensive reposado (even cheaper than El Ultimo Agave), Agavales should be your choice.

Da Winnah and STILL Champeen:El Ultimo Agave reposado !! – Yayyy!!

Got a suggestion for an under $20 reposado that could conceivable BEAT El Ultimo Agave? Comment below!

I’m happy to say that FINALLY, after seeing it win the budget battle repeatedly on your show, I got to try El Ultimo Agave repo. I live in a (stupid) state, Virginia, in which liquor sales are state-controlled, meaning that the menu of available options is limited. (They have a “special order” list that adds a few options, but not many.) EUA is not among the options (even in the special-order catalog); I simply cannot get it here. Fortunately, a concerned friend in SF finally found a bottle and sent it to me (probably illegally, but if you repeat this I’ll deny it). Now, I’m probably biased given the effort my friend expended to get this to me, but (that notwithstanding) I have to agree with your assessment: It’s remarkably good for the price. I can find El Jimador easily, and have done so on multiple occasions, and I certain agree that EUA is far superior.

Sadly, though — and here I invite you to share my pain — I am not able here to get my hands on the Agavales repo for comparison. This is even more frustrating than it sounds at first, because I CAN easily get the Agavales blanco and the Agavales “gold” — just not the repo. Evidently, the Powers-that-Be here in Virginia have decided, for some reason, that only two Agavales products will be available here, with the repo not included. (I’ve sent them a “suggestion” through their web site, but haven’t heard anything back.)

So, I unfortunately have to remain agnostic with regard to the comparison of EUA repo vs. Agavales repo. I suspect that you are probably right, but it ticks me off to no end that I can’t decide for myself. If you’d cry a tear for me, I’d appreciate it….

I haven’t had El Utimo Agave so I am unsure if it is good, I think in one of your shows about it you said it’s kind of boring- not much of a flavor profile. Check out Sol Azul Reposado I know I like it hell do a show on all three I have only had the Anejo and Reposado I much prefer the reposado but have yet to find an Anejo I like. So maybe do a show on all three and comparing Sol Azul to El Utimo Agave ?

Yo, D,
Thanks for the post. I actually thing the El Ultimo Agave repo sometimes has TOO MUCH flavor (and not enough complexity) — but for the most part, it’s TEARING UP the competition. Find a bottle and let us know what you think.
Thanks for the tip on Sol Azul. I’ll look into ti.
-Lip

I just tried EUA. Not bad at all. I am not a Tequila Afficienado but I have to say that Piedra Azul makes a damn good Reposado. I think it’s got a great shot at taking over the top spot! So far, the best I’ve had under $20 a bottle! 100% Blue Agave. Good times.

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